2000 elephants , " on each of which was set a tower of timber , well @ - @ framed and strong , and carrying from 12 to 16 well @ - @ armed fighting men . " even then , the 40 @ , @ 000 to 60 @ , @ 000 figures of the burmese army strength were likely eye estimates and may still be too high ; the mongols may have er ##red " on the side of generosity " not to " dim ##ini ##sh their glory in defeating superior numbers . " according to marco polo ' s account , in the early stages of the battle , the turkish and mongol horsemen " took such fright at the sight of the elephants
2000 elephants, " on each of which was set a tower of timber, well @ - @ framed and strong, and carrying from 12 to 16 well @ - @ armed fighting men. " even then, the 40 @, @ 000 to 60 @, @ 000 figures of the burmese army strength were likely eye estimates and may still be too high ; the mongols may have erred " on the side of generosity " not to " diminish their glory in defeating superior numbers. " according to marco polo's account, in the early stages of the battle, the turkish and mongol horsemen " took such fright at the sight of the elephants